Chateau Des Tuquets Part III

Sarah says:  Still not loving the wine.  I apologize for the lack of variation in my wine drinking lately.  If you are a follower of the blog, then you should know by now that I will stick it out with a bottle to the end.  So, that's what I'm doing.  

I was at the gym last night, and I was walking by the gym which was filled with young boys/men playing basketball.  As luck would have it, right as I was walking by the open door, a basketball flew out and hit me in the side.  I don't really care about the ball hitting me, the ball clearly wasn't thrown very hard.  What I care about is the lack of apology.  Of the twenty or so guys in there, probably all in middle and high school, not a one said sorry or asked if I was ok.  Or even said thanks as I threw the ball back into the court for that matter!  Maybe they were so engrossed in their game they didn't realize what happened, but that is really giving them the benefit of the doubt, and I have a hard time believing that none of them saw it.

To be fair, I'm currently reading this book so all things manners are fresh on my mind, but I think those boys were all pretty rude.  My children are generally well behaved for their ages, but that doesn't mean they are well mannered.  Now that I'm halfway through this book, I've started making a list of the most important items to me.  On the very top of the list:  Saying please, thank you, and I'm sorry.  Other items on my "manners my kids need to learn" list include not interrupting, waiting for everyone to be seated before beginning to eat, trying at least one bite of a new food before rejecting it, making eye contact when meeting new people, keeping bathroom talk in the bathroom, and learning the difference between inside and outside voices.  Unlike this wine, I'm really enjoying the book.  I would recommend it to anyone with young kids looking for advice on what manners you can reasonably expect of kids at what age.

So, two questions come to mind.  One:  Should I have said anything to the boys?  I debate back and fourth between if it's appropriate to "parent" others kids.  Obviously, I wouldn't have scolded them or anything, but possibly given them the simple reminder that they should apologize.  Then again, I wouldn't have wanted to embarrass anyone, especially given the size of the group.  Then again, someone has got to teach these kids some manners, they are important!  Without good manners they are going to struggle to find jobs and have meaningful relationships. I believe good manners is a key element to success.  Two:  What do you think are the most important manners for a 4 and 6 (almost!) to learn, and how would you go about teaching it?

Chateau Des Tuquets Part II

Sarah says:  Is it crazy to drink a wine that you know you aren't going to enjoy?  Often I enjoy the bottle more the second day than I did the first, but sadly, this is not the case for this one.  Yesterday, Jon and I had a glass (before going out on a much needed date night!), and his comments were that he would drink it if it were served to him, but he wouldn't buy it again.  He also commented that he felt like he had static cling in his mouth - so not sure what that means.  He also said it was fruity, which is funny, because I said it wasn't.  I'm not the biggest fan, but here I am drinking it.  Why?  Because, what I find crazy, is wasting wine!  Even bad wine isn't worth pouring down the sink.  Maybe one day I'll get comfortable enough with my finances to do that, but now is not that time.

Speaking of crazy... I've been called crazy A LOT over the past 6 weeks or so.  I think I've been called crazy more in the past 6 weeks, than I've ever been called anything else, ever.  What has people thinking I'm so crazy?  I've been working a lot of extra hours at work.  Yup, that apparently makes me crazy.  As I mentioned here, I've spent the last few weeks with the auditors at the Township, as they examined our stuff.  I spent 4 years as an auditor, and 3 years helping Detroit get caught up on their audits, so I had a pretty good idea what to expect.  But, even with that knowledge, this was my first experience being the client, and it was stressful.  Within the first few days I felt bad for every client that I ever bothered in my auditing days - man, we were annoying!  Being my first audit, I wanted everything to go smoothly, so I put in some extra hours to help that happen.  And, I get called crazy for it.

I'm not looking for kudos here, I'm just trying to understand it.  When a police or fire employee works beyond their shift, they are a hero.  When a teacher does it, they are an inspiration.  When a doctor does it, they are a miracle worker.  When a vet does it, they are a kind-hearted soul.  When an accountant does it, they are crazy?  Similarly, when those folks say they do it because they love their job, everyone goes "awwww" and smiles at them.  When I say it, I get an "are you serious, you're crazy!"  The truth folks, is, I do love my job.  I put in the extra hours because of that reason.  And, it's not just my job I love, it's the whole Township.  Think about it... I work for the Township that I live in, that Liam goes to school in, that Mary takes dance class in, that we go to church in, that we spend our weekends running, swiming and shopping in.  It's the Township that I spend 98% of my time in.   When I'm working, it's not just a job, I'm not balancing the books of a Township, I'm balancing the books of MY Township.  I'm so freaking grateful to have the job that I have.  I think about budget to actual statements while I'm brushing my teeth.  I'm running through GASB 34 reconciling items in my head while I'm cooking spaghetti for my kids.  I'm thinking through cash flow statements while I'm paying my own bills. I think about work all the time, because I love it.

Was I working extra hours because of an obligation?  No.  I was working extra hours because I care about the quality of my work, and I respect deadlines.  I didn't want to just throw some crap together just to get it done.  I wanted to take the time to think through everything, to make sure nothing got missed, to make sure the information was presented in a manner that was proper and easy to follow.  I wanted to make sure I was maintaing the positive reputation the Township has.  If that makes me crazy, than crazy I am.  But, I don't regret a single moment spent at work recently.  I'm proud of what I've accomplished and learned in the 8 months that I've been there.

On the other hand, I didn't work at all this weekend.  This weekend, I cooked the kids a "real" breakfast, I went on a date with my hubs, I watched a movie (ok, two movies!), I caught up on some sleep, I drank some wine.  And this weekend, was perfect. 

Chateau Des Tuquets

Sarah says:  I generally love all white wines, but not so much this time.  This Bordeaux Sauvignon left me feeling thirsty and with a headache.  It didn't have the fruity feel that I love.  This was too dry - I don't like wine that's too sweet, but I need a little - this was dry dry dry.  Not my favorite.

Overall rating:  Thumbs down.

Sarah says:  I drank this wine while catching up on my DVR.  I've been working like crazy lately - I've been through a lot of audits, but this was the first one that was MY audit.  I feel very responsible for the outcome, it's been stressful.  I've been loosing sleep.  Tonight I finally feel comfortable with where things stand. It was very nice to kick back and relax with the TV and some wine tonight.

So, tonight I watched some Modern Family.  I love this show - it cracks me up.  I also love watching other parents.  Gloria is my favorite.  She is so supportive and positive all the time.  I wish I could be more like her.  Her ability to find the good in things is inspiring.  I also enjoy how much she loves her Manny, even if he is a bit different than kids should be at his age.  I hate to admit it, but it's so easy to judge my own kids.  I have caught myself labeling my kids and setting expectations for them based on their personalities.  It's not right, but sometimes it just happens.  I strive to be more like Gloria, just accepting things as they are.  And If I happen to get her boobs and body I wouldn't complain about that too!